Steve Heimel, APRN Contributor
sheimel (at) alaskapublic (dot) org | 907.550.8454 | About Steve
Anchorage Walmart Manager Shot By Customer
An Anchorage Wal-Mart manager was undergoing surgery Saturday night after being shot by a customer apparently upset about being told his service dog need to be on a leash. Jason Mahi was allegedly shot by Daniel Pirtle, 45, a double amputee, who now faces assault and misconduct involving weapons.
Chythlook-Sifsof Wins Snowboard Cross Bronze At World Cup
Snowboarder Callan Chythlook-Sifsof of Girdwood claimed a bronze medal yesterday in the team snowboard cross in a World Cup event in Switzerland. Chythlook-Sifsof was teamed with Faye Gulini of Salt Lake City. In individual events, she has medaled in 2007 and 2011.
Alaska’s Natural Gas
The push for a pipeline to deliver natural gas from the North Slope to market has been a long one, and opinions differ on how soon it might become a reality. And now the need for gas is rising within the state of Alaska. The cost of any gas line would be enormous. We’ll be talking about the investment prospects for a natural gas pipeline on the next Talk of Alaska.
KSKA: Tuesday 3/19 at 10:00 am
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Ethnobotany
Last year the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recorded eleven billion-dollar weather events. That brought the total for the last two years to 25. The average up until then had been less than four. Climate change is already here and it’s not changing back any time soon. Communities are going to have to become more resilient, and for some
that means a closer look at local food. One of the top experts on sustainable and climate-resilient “food-sheds” will be the guest on the next Talk of Alaska.
KSKA: Tuesday, 3/5 at 10:00am
4 Anchorage Residents Indicted For Identity Theft
Federal prosecutors say four Anchorage residents have been indicted on multiple charges, including identity theft, for using the identities of people in the prison system to file false income tax returns and get refunds. The four named in the indictment are 46-year-old Steven McComb, 42-year-old Michael Sexton, 47-year-old Paulando Williams and 44-year-old Helen Maloney.
McKenna, Van Meter Repeat As Iron Dog Champions
Marc McKenna and Dusty Van Meter were winners in the Iron Dog snowmachine race Saturday for the second year in a row. The pair also took the halfway prize in Nome. Van Meter has won five times, and McKenna four times.
Kikkan Randall, Jessica Diggins Win World Cup Gold
Standing on the podium in the Italian Alps at the World Cup, with the United States' first-ever gold medal in Nordic skiing on Sunday, were Kikkan Randall and Jessica Diggins, winners in the team sprint.
Effectiveness of Oil Spill Dispersants Challenged
This coming May, the Arctic Council will meet in Sweden to finalize an international agreement on oil spill preparedness. In the meantime, questions are multiplying about the adequacy of existing oil spill response technology to deal with arctic conditions. And one of the primary tools, dispersants, are coming under attack from the marine conservation organization, Oceana, in a scientific report that was released this week in Anchorage at the Alaska Forum on the Environment.
Palmer Man Charged In January JBER Incident
A Palmer man faces multiple charges for a wild incident last month on Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson. Kyle Hansen, 25, is charged with illegally entering a military base, destroying government property and assault.
The Changing Arctic and Antarctic
The changing Arctic has become a resource frontier, and a military and economic one. But for much longer it has been a scientific one. We’ll take an international perspective on the Arctic with a leading polar scientist from Japan
KSKA: Tuesday, 2/5 at 10:00am
NPFMC May Start Ocean Zoning Work Next Week
Next week the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council may start work on zoning the ocean – something it began in 2005, when it protected the coral gardens of the Aleutian Islands. This time, sea skate nursery areas are being considered. The Council’s preferred alternative would avoid restricting fishing in these areas, instead directing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to keep an eye on them. But this issue may set the stage for deliberations later this year on two large canyons in the Bering Sea that are full of corals, sponges and skates.
APOC Reduces Lobbying Fine for Coffey
The Alaska Public Offices Commission has approved a consent agreement worked out by its staff and former Anchorage Assembly member Dan Coffey.
Anchorage Police Search For Shooting Suspect
There was a shooting in a West Anchorage apartment Tuesday afternoon. Police say the victim was seriously injured and knew the suspect, who is still being sought. They say there were several other people in the apartment at the time - no identities released yet. Officers say the place was full of bear spray when they arrived, but were not yet ready to say why.
Head of BP’s Alaska Operation Gets Promotion
John Minge will leave his Alaska job and move up to become the Chairman and President of BP America in a couple of weeks. Minge has headed BP's Alaska operations since 2009. He will replace Lamar McKay, who is moving up to head the oil giant's Upstream operations worldwide.
Where Things Come from and Where They Go
Annie Leonard has gone all over the world discovering where the things you buy come from and where they go when you are done with them. It’s called “The Story of Stuff.”
KSKA: Tuesday, 1/29 at 10:00am
USPS Unveils Tufted Puffin Stamp
Wednesday the U.S. Postal Service unveiled a postage stamp featuring the Tufted Puffin. The ceremony for the new First Class Mail 86-cent stamp took place at the Seward Sea Life Center, where stamp collectors could get special first day cover envelopes.
Ocean Acidification Monitors Coming To Alaska
Alaska will soon have a monitoring system for rising levels of acidity in the ocean. The state Legislature provided $2.7 million to set up a network of buoy sensors along the coast. Scientists got an update on ocean acidification yesterday at the Alaska Marine Science Symposium in Anchorage.
Jay Hammond’s Last Book
An international think tank is looking at a new economic model for developing countries. It’s based on the Alaska Permanent Fund, and the Permanent Fund Dividend. A book written by former Alaska Governor Jay Hammond is being published by the Center for Global Development.
KSKA: Tuesday, January 22 at 10:00am